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Awareness of high blood pressure stimulates platelet release reaction
M Rostrup1, H H Mundal, S E Kjeldsen
1Department of Internal Medicine, Ullevål Hospital, University of Oslo Medical School, Norway.
Insights
Knowing about high blood pressure triggers mental stress, increasing adrenaline and platelet activation. This platelet response is linked to heart disease risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Hematology
Background:
- Mental stress is a potential cardiovascular risk factor.
- Platelet function plays a role in cardiovascular health.
- Awareness of health conditions can induce stress responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between mental stress and blood platelet function.
- To determine if awareness of hypertension affects physiological stress markers and platelet activity.
- To explore correlations between platelet markers and cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of 29 young men with elevated blood pressure (98th percentile).
- Randomization into two groups: one informed about elevated blood pressure (stress group), one not (control group).
- Assessment of heart rate, plasma adrenaline, and plasma beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) following a cold pressor test 2 weeks after notification.
Main Results:
- The informed group showed exaggerated heart rate and plasma adrenaline responses to stress.
- Elevated plasma beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) and mean blood pressure were observed in the informed group.
- beta TG correlated positively with hematocrit and mean blood pressure, and negatively with plasma HDL.
Conclusions:
- Awareness of hypertension induces a hyperadrenergic state associated with platelet activation.
- Platelet release reactions under stress are linked to established coronary heart disease risk factors.
- This study highlights the impact of psychological stress on platelet function and cardiovascular risk.
Abstract:
The present study aimed at testing the hypothesis of a link between mental stress and blood platelet function. Twenty-nine 19-year-old men were recruited from the 98th percentile of mean blood pressure (116 mmHg) at a routine medical screening. They were not informed about their elevated blood pressures at the time of the screening. One year later they were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (n = 16) was exposed to mental stress by a letter informing them about their high blood pressure, while group 2 (n = 13) was sent a neutral letter. At an examination 2 weeks later, heart rate (p less than 0.05) and plasma adrenaline (p less than 0.05) responses to a cold pressor test were exaggerated in the informed group. The plasma beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) concentration was elevated in the informed group (p less than 0.05) as was mean blood pressure (p less than 0.05). beta TG correlated positively with hematocrit (r = 0.59, p less than 0.005) and mean blood pressure (r = 0.43, p less than 0.05), and negatively with plasma HDL (r = -0.61, p = 0.001). The study shows that awareness of hypertension induces a hyperadrenergic state which is associated with the platelet release reaction. Under these circumstances platelet release seems to be correlated to established coronary heart disease risk factors.